Over 30 community members rallied on Wednesday outside three Sunset Park buildings owned by Shea Sigal, an alleged slumlord, to advocate for tenants’ rights and address the plight of residents who say they are living in unbearable conditions.
Organized by the 23rd Street Tenants Association, with support from TakeRoot Justice and other local advocacy groups, the rally highlighted what tenants describe as unlivable conditions. They pointed to 318 violations issued by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development as evidence of neglect.
With winter temperatures dropping as low as 18 degrees this season, residents reported going for extended periods without heat, raising serious concerns about their health and safety.
“This winter was very difficult for all of us, for me and my children,” Susana Arias, a tenant leader, said at the rally. “In my case, my youngest son and I got pneumonia. Since the beginning of winter, we have been without heat. What we are asking for are our rights. And we are not alone. We have rights, and we don’t have to be afraid.”
Many tenants have been in a battle with the landlord for years.
For instance, 10 residents, who formed a group, have been on a rent strike since April 2024, aiming to pressure their landlord into addressing their concerns.
Their grievances prompted the initiation of a Housing Preservation proceeding against Sigal earlier this year due to his alleged failure to address necessary repairs, leaving many families to live in substandard conditions. Despite a judge’s ruling in December 2023 ordering repairs to be made, tenants claim that their landlord has failed to take any corrective action, forcing them to continue living in hazardous environments.
Community Organizer Jorge Paz Reyes voiced the collective frustration felt by residents at the rally and emphasized that the situation demands immediate attention.
“In this building, there are babies, elderly people, young people who have a right to a home with heat and proper repairs,” he said. “This is an abuse of human rights and of the immigrant community. We demand that the owner of these three buildings respect the rights of these tenants and that he make the necessary repairs.”
Sigal could not be reached for comment.
Aura Mejia, tenant organizing and advocacy manager at Neighbors Helping Neighbors, called for stronger action from local authorities, highlighting the need for systemic reform.
“We need justice, and we need these owners to be punished more severely,” Mejia said. “Sunset Park is not for sale. We are asking HPD to be tougher with these landlords and to better support tenants.”
Sigal faces mounting scrutiny for a pattern of negligence and for the debt to the city he has racked up, owing tens of thousands of dollars in property taxes on each of his buildings. He owns at least three properties at 225, 227, and 229 23rd Street in Sunset Park.
These buildings have become a focal point of growing tenant unrest over deteriorating living conditions. According to Who Owns What, a nonprofit that tracks landlords and their properties, Sigal is linked to at least 20 other buildings, many of which have accumulated numerous HPD complaints and violations.
Housing Attorney Alex Matak, representing the tenants through TakeRoot Justice, condemned Sigal’s alleged misconduct and stressed the urgency of the matter.
“Shea Sigal has claimed that it’s the tenants’ own fault for the conditions of these buildings,” Matak said, pointing out that the landlord was recently featured on the worst landlords list in New York City.
With the help of Matak, tenants filed three motions for civil and criminal contempt against Sigal, the owner of the three buildings.
Tenants, advocates, and community members insist that no family should endure the indignity of unsafe housing.
“This is a slumlord, and he does not care about these tenants,” Matak said. “These tenants are not going to stop fighting until they have the dignified conditions that they deserve.”
